The invention relates generally to a portable electronic device and more specifically to the personalization of the electronic device through the composition of an illumination display pattern.
With the growth of portable devices, such as wired or wireless devices, such as a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a desktop computer or any other suitable device for providing electronic user interaction, there is a concurrent growth to provide for the personalization of these portable devices.
One common approach to personalization of a portable device is providing interchangeable covers, or faceplates. For example, the Nokia 8290 cellular phone manufactured by Nokia, provides the user the ability to place different faceplates having different colors or patterns on the phone. Thereupon, the user may personalize his or her cellular phone based on the chosen faceplate. Other physical distinctions are also available, such as the Motorola V.66 cellular phone available from Motorola, Inc., which allows for interchangeable face clips on a top portion of the phone.
Another common approach to personalization are specific ring tones audibly displayed by the phone to notify an incoming signal, such as a incoming call, a voicemail message or any other type of notification. Currently, many portable devices provide the user with an internal library of available ring tones. The user may selectively associate specific ring tones with specific incoming signals to provide differentiation. Moreover, a user may associate a specific ring tone with a particular caller identifier. Furthermore, there exists the commercial opportunity for the user to purchase selective ring tones from commercial internet-based websites, wherein the ring tones may then be seamlessly downloaded to the phone for the user's enjoyment. Also, some portable devices also provide for a composer, allowing a user to compose a personalized ring tone consisting of selected tones.
An emerging area of personalization in portables devices is the selective illumination of an illumination region, such as one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs), visible on the surface of the portable device. Another example of an illumination region is a light channel, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,906. For example, the Samsung R210 available from Samsung, Inc. provides for a single LED disposed on the front surface, wherein the single LED illuminates the single color red to signify an incoming signal, such as an incoming call. Another example is the Motorola T195 available from Motorola, Inc., which provides for an illuminating keypad that lights up in a single color when the phone is activated. Yet another example are commercially available Nokia compliant faceplates that have multiple LEDs that flash in a non-sequential manner.
As such, the currently available illumination patterns are restricted by the random operation of LEDs disposed about the portable device or the direct operation a timid illumination region in direct response with a portable device activity, and the color and frequency of illumination is restricted by predefined illumination routines.